𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

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(Y/N) stopped tightening the saddle of Legend, the horse that Adrian was going to ride, everyone having been preparing all that evening to depart the next morning to Chalar, instead staring upwards at the sky where the the sun was just beginning to break through the thicket of darkness. Squinting her from the rather blinding rays, she wondered if she should take up praying.

    Praying for her safety, along with everyone else's—to pray for safe passage home.

    She smiled softly at the thought.

    Shaking her head slowly, she then continued strapping on the saddle whilst adjusting the feet holsters, Legend nickering softly as she did so, not keen on having the foreign object strapped to his back even though he's had to for many times. Murmuring softly to the horse, she stroked his hair, the feeling coarse beneath her fingertips. Once more she became lost in thought, thinking about the aftermath of her and Adrian's brief duel.

    Once she had parted ways with Adrian, she had been able to meet up with Claude after his small briefing with the others from Basile. She filled him in on all that had happened not even minutes prior to greeting him, his shocked expression matching what she had felt internally when Adrian had originally asked her to be his attendant. Before she could ask him about what Basile had told the group, said man was already ushering them to stock up on food, weapons, and anything else that might provide useful. Now, there were twelve horses in total all with supplies strapped to their back.

    "Hopefully we'll return with twelve," (Y/N) spoke quietly to Legend, her eyes softening.

    "Now, why do you say that like we won't come home with twelve?" Adrian's voice piped up from behind her unexpectedly.

"Your Highness," she quickly turned around, took a step back, and lowered her head in a small bow out of respect, not seeming to notice the way Adrian stared at her intently. "I apologize for not seeing you and greeting you sooner." Silence stretched long and thin between them, and as she wondered why he hadn't said anything, murmured out again, "Your Highness?"

"What happened to the man that could say anything, even to his Prince, hm?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you want to know the reason I made you my personal attendant? It's because you're someone that I can trust to tell me if I do something wrong," he sighed, gripping the reins of Legend tightly as he turned to face her. "And yet... it seems like that man has all but disappeared the moment it was deemed safe. Why is that?"

"Your Highness, I assure you, I can and will state my mind when I believe something amiss," she stated calmly. "However, at the same time, as you are the Prince, I cannot forget common courtesy."

"Hm...?"

(Y/N)'s brow twitched, yet she stayed silent.

    Adrian found himself amused.

"Very well, then," he affirmed with a light smile, an expression he so rarely showed others—more so, it was an expression he used when he felt at ease. "I thank you for that, and apologize for speaking lightly on the matter. However, when not in front of others, please speak to me casually, or, if you cannot do that, drop some of the formality."

"Your Highness?"

"Whenever you speak so stiffly, it makes me cringe even though it's directed at me," he pointed out whilst patting Legend softly.

    "Understood..." (Y/N) sighed.

    "Thank you," Adrian's smile somewhat grew.

    Setting his hand on her shoulder briefly as he walked away, he didn't look back as he then stepped towards Basile to once more go over their plan. At Adrian's approach, Basile looked up from the map that he was examining along one of the old wooden tables that was brought out, the worn paper curling around his hands, crinkling with every move he made.

    "Hello, Your Highness," Basile greeted Adrian whilst lacing his fingers behind his back, his eyes then flicking behind him to (Y/N). "It seems you've... grown closer to that servant."

It wasn't a question, that much was clear.

"I trust him," was all Adrian replied, his eyes scouring over the map with interest.

"How can you trust someone who's only been here for little less than a year?" Basile groaned in displeasure, removing his wire-framed glasses from his nose to dust them off with a white handkerchief he pulled from his coat's front pocket. "Besides, wasn't it only a few weeks ago that he tried to poison the Princess?"

"He didn't try to poison Seraph," he enunciated the fact as he pried his attention away from the map. "He made a mistake in place setting. It happens every now and again among new servants. Besides, why would (L/N) so blatantly show his intentions by being the one to serve said dishes? Though he may be a servant, he is certainly not stupid, nor would I say his loyalties were that thin. Aren't you the one who hired him in the first place?"

    "While that is true, I do admit that my methods aren't perfect," Basile somewhat lamented as he propped a finger to his chin. "Sometimes, I mistake people to have good intentions."

    "And you believe (L/N) is one of those people?" Adrian raised an unconvinced brow.

"It's possible."

    "Our viewpoints differ, then."

    "Yes... but in time, I will come to trust (L/N) as you do," Basile glanced towards (Y/N) once more, observing her gentle interactions with Legend. "Lots of time, perhaps. How easily he has been able to become close to you is concerning—it could very well just be a ploy to have you let your guard down so that he can strike you down.

"Aren't you curious as to why I trust him?" Adrian hummed. "After all, like you said, it's not good to have someone around you can't trust."

"So?"

"So, let's just say... I looked into him."

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